GoPro HD HERO2 Motorsports Edition Camcorder - Silver

Before we start lets get a few things straight. This is not a digital camera. This is not a digital Video Camera. If you want to use this product as an handheld camera of the normal nature do not buy it. You will be disappointed. This is a sports action camera. It is designed to be attached using the supplied attachments to record the action without having to hold a camera.
The first thing you notice about the camera is the size. It is tiny! The picture you see makes it seem a lot larger than it really is. The saying goes 'Better things come in small packages' and this piece of kit is no exception. The picture quality is fantastic. Full 1080p recording at 30 FPS and not a frame drop in sight. The lens design allows you to have a field of view from a whopping 170 degrees to 127 in full HD. In lower resolutions this can be reduced further. Also in lower res you can record at 120 FPS which allows you to slow down the images and get a cool super slow-motion effect.
All the images are recorded to SD or SDHC card and it will take upto 32GB cards. The recommendations are above class 4 SDHC cards for full HD and class 10 is pushed by the manufacturer. I have used a 16GB class 4 card in full HD for 40mins non stop footage and not had a single problem.
The 2 button layout and LCD info screen make it very simple to use and the camera has various modes including still shooting, multi-still shooting(10 images per second) and timers setting. I dont really see this as a still shooting camera though. It shoots at 11MP which is pretty mid range for a camera and there is no viewfinder so rather it being point and shoot I would describe it as point, guess, luck, shoot.
There is an option to purchase a LCD screen "backpack" for the camera at about £80 which would broaden the range of functionality if you really wanted to.
The camera housing supplied is of good design, strong, sturdy and waterproof down to 60m. The fixings that are supplied with the motorsport kit are of good quality and consist of a sucker mount for windscreens etc and a few types of adhesive mounts for dash mounting. On my testing I have found the sucker mount far less prone to vibration when hitting bumps in the road. I think this is mainly to do with my car having a plastic dashboard which just isnt as sturdy as the windscreen.

The battery life is quoted at 2.5 hrs at 960p recording. At 1080p this will reduce to around 2 hours. This is not much of a problem as at full HD it will fill a 32GB card in 2 hours.
This camera can be connected to USB charger while using to have constant power using a cigarette lighter charger but please note you cannot do this with the supplied mounting case. You would require a skeleton case £30-£40 to allow the cable to plug into the camera. (Skeleton case is not waterproof)

In all this is a quality piece of kit but make sure you have a use for what it offers. It is not a replacement for a camcorder or digital camera.

I brought this to help me evolve my videography skills and productions, aswell as capturing those otherwise missed moments when participating in action sports such as white water and waterfall kayaking like I participate in.
I love the go pro, its great video and picture quality, the audio is muffled when put in the waterproof housing but so would anything when you put it inside a plastic box.
The video quality is so good I have been able to take screen shots from my videos and use them as background/wallpapers on my phone and laptop. Depending on where you mount it, this camera can capture those moments, especially in sports, that is normally missed.
Compares to its rivals, the contour and the gobandit, it sits highest on my list, its so versatile with attachments for almost anything and with all the attachments and bacpacs this can transform the camera to be just as good as a top level video camera just without the zoom.
If your looking for an action camera defiantly go with this!

This is another great camera from GoPro. I previously had a HD Hero 1 that I used for snow skiing, white water rafting and motorcycle touring on the continent. That gave excellent results. The new Hero 2 camera continues in a similar vein but is easier to use as the display is more intuitive. The results in good light are similar but it copes with changing light and shadows better. The sound quality still leaves room for improvement but there is now a socket for an external microphone into which various aftermarket microphones can be plugged.
I also bought the WiFi Combo which is essential for motorcycle videos as you cannot hear the warning beeps from the camera with a helmet on and ear plugs in. My only criticism of this is that the strap is too short to use over a motorcycle jacket. I've reported this to GoPro and they are looking into producing longer straps.

What can I say?. If this is the first time you use the GOPRO HERO 2 and have not been near another sporys camera then you may well think what all the fuss is about. If, however, you have gone through several of the other brands in the search for quality and ease of use then this tops the tree for me.In my day to day work driving on the road for a living it captures all the near misses and for my other team members a quick replay of some awkward locations helps them access areas with ease. In my role as one of the emergency services, the action of driving to and from incidents and with a quick change, measured in seconds, of the mount we can get close up action of any incident via a helmet mount or waist mount for play back and debrief instantly via laptop. We have added the open sided and back case for inside recording and with the 32gb card, and micro usb cord to provide external power,it records miles ahead of anything we have previously had. All in all, for the money paid this has proved a great choice and I only wish we had trid this one first.

i bought it to go on my bike or crash helmet when on byways or racing, i shouldnt have to do a review these and the drift are the best cameras for this purpose.
mine was brand new and a great bargain.
the picture quality is great.
I am up grading to the pro 3 in a few weeks time and the 2 is being rear mounted on the bike.
Would like to add that it isnt a camera for family outings, this is a sports cam.